Pixel Qi LCD/e-paper hybrid ready to roll

3Qi display revealed as both colour LCD and monochrome e-paper

We've heard plenty over the last year or so about the new low-power LCD displays from Pixel Qi, so it's a relief to hear they appear to be almost ready for market.

The company's founder, Mary Lou Jepsen, has finally revealed photos of the 3Qi screen on her personal blog at the Pixel Qi website.

Battery saving

The images show a netbook-connected 3Qi outdoors in e-paper mode where it is supposed to be as easy to read as traditional paper, even in direct sunlight.

Others reveal it indoors acting as a normal colour LCD with the backlight switched on and, again, as a battery-friendly monochrome e-paper display with no backlight.

Aiming for Kindle?

Jepsen has previously said that 7.5- and 10.5-inch screens will be the company's first products when they become available late this year and that she hopes for a slice of the e-book market currently dominated by E Ink, another US firm.

E Ink already has over one million of its e-paper displays in the marketplace in products like Amazon's Kindle.